"It is not necessary," said the head master, "for you to come with us.

I give my word that we shall be at the police court immediately. But I wish to avoid the public scandal of one of my boys going through the streets in charge."

"I ain't a-going to let him out of my sight," said the ruffled constable. "I know his style."

Tempest smiled provokingly.

"I'd sooner walk, sir," said he. "If the policeman holds me on one side and Mr Jarman on the other--"

"Silence, sir," said the doctor sternly, while Mr Jarman raised his brows deprecatingly.

"Am I to come too?" said I.

"Yes."

"I should like Pridgin and some of the fellows to be there too, sir,"

said Tempest. "They saw me just before and just after the explosion."

"It does not seem necessary to have more boys," said Mr Jarman.

"Not to you!" said Tempest hotly; "the fewer _you_ have the better. But if you choose to accuse me, I sha'n't ask you whom to have to speak for me."

"Tempest," said the head master, "you are only doing yourself harm by this. Jones, go and fetch Pridgin, and any of the others he speaks of, to the police court; and kindly do not say a word of what has pa.s.sed here. How, constable, are you ready?"

The school was fortunately all within doors at the time, so that, except to the few who chanced to be gazing from the windows, the little procession, headed by the doctor and Mr Jarman, with the policeman and Tempest bringing up the rear, pa.s.sed un.o.bserved.

I was full of apprehensions. Whatever the result, I knew Tempest well enough to be sure that the effect on him would be bad, and would call out in him all that spirit of insubordination and defiance which had before now threatened to wreck his career. A strong sense of responsibility was all that had hitherto held it in check. If that were now shattered--and how could it help being upset by this charge?--it would break out badly and dangerously. I was not long in speeding over to Sharpe's, where I found Pridgin just going over to cla.s.s.

He heard the doctor's message with a groan of weariness.

"What's the use of my going?--_I_ can't tell them anything," said he.

"You can tell them Tempest never did it," said I.

"If they don't believe him, they won't me. Anyhow, I am coming."

Thereupon I was inspired to tell him the secret history of the effigy of Mr Jarman, and my theory as to the cause of the explosion; namely, that Tempest might have dropped a match through the grating, not knowing on what it would fall, and that in the natural perversity of things it had lit on the projecting tongue of the guy.

"You'd better make a clean breast of that guy," said Pridgin, "if you want to get Tempest out of this mess. You'll probably get expelled or flogged, but Low Heath can spare you better than it can Tempest. It strikes me you'd better fetch down one or two of your lot to corroborate you. It sounds too neat a story as it is."

Whereupon I sought out Langrish and Trimble, and had the satisfaction of making their hair stand on end for once. At first they flatly refused to come, and reminded me that, as President of the Conversation Club, the entire responsibility for the guy rested on me.

"All serene," said I, "only come and let them know how Jarman brought it all on. The more we go for him, the better for our man."

They failed to see the force of my logic, but curiosity and love of adventure induced them to venture into the lion's den. On our way, moreover, we captured d.i.c.ky Brown, who, to do him credit, was only too eager to come with us and stand by his old Dux.

Contrary to our expectations, when we arrived, instead of finding a crowded court, we were ushered into the magistrate's parlour, where, to judge by appearances, a comfortable little party was going on.

The captain, a cheery old boy, familiar to all Low Heathens for his presence on speech day, sat at a table with his clerk beside him. The doctor and Mr Jarman were also sitting down, and Tempest was standing restlessly near the window. The lodge-keeper's son, with his head bound up (for he was the victim of the explosion, and I suppose, the prosecutor), was standing beside the policeman, cap in hand, on the mat.

At the sight of the three juniors the doctor frowned a little, and Mr Jarman scowled.

"What are these boys doing here?" said the former.

"Please, sir, we thought you wanted to hear how it went off," said Langrish.

"So we do," said the magistrate; "sit down, my lads. Well hear what you have to say in time."

"Please, sir," said Tempest, "may I speak to Pridgin?"

"Certainly, my lad," said the captain again.

So the two friends hastily conferred together in the window, while we stared round with an awestruck, and apparently disconcerting, gaze at the gentlemen on the doormat, who severally represented the majesty of the law and injured innocence.

"Now, then," said the magistrate presently, "let us hear what this is all about. One of your boys, doctor, I see, is charged with attempting to blow up part of the school gymnasium last night, and injuring this poor fellow here. Who makes the charge, by the way? Do you?"

"No," said the doctor, "I understand Mr Jarman does."

"Which is Mr Jarman?" said the captain, looking blandly round. "Ah, you. Well, sir, this is a serious charge to make; _let_ us hear what you have to say. This is not a sworn examination, but what you say will be taken down, and the boy you accuse will have a right to ask any question. Now, sir."

Mr Jarman, thereupon, with very bad grace, for he felt that the magistrate's tone was not cordial, related how he was walking in the court at such and such an hour, when he saw a boy attempting to enter the gymnasium. That he stopped him and demanded his name. That the boy pushed past him and entered the gymnasium. Upon which Mr Jarman turned the key on the outside in order to detain him there, by way of punishment. That the boy began to kick at the door, and after half an hour broke it open and made his escape. That the boy was Tempest, and that scarcely two minutes after he had left, and just after Mr Jarman, having stayed to examine the damage to the door, had turned to go away, the explosion occurred; that he heard a cry from young Sugden, the lodge-keeper's son, who was pa.s.sing at the time, and was thrown violently forward against the railings, cutting his head badly.

"How do you know the boy was Tempest?" asked the magistrate.

"I recognised him in the dark," said Mr Jarman. "In fact, I expected him."

"Expected him?"

"Yes, he had sent his f.a.g for a jacket just previously, and I had sent the f.a.g back."

"Why?"

"Boys are not allowed to enter the gymnasium after dark."

"Is that a rule of the school?"

"It is my rule."

"Does it apply to senior boys as well as juniors?" asked Tempest.

"I am responsible for the gymnasium, and--"

"That is not the question," said the magistrate. "Have you ever allowed senior boys in the gymnasium after dark?"

"I may have; but I forbade Tempest to enter last night."

"What harm was there in his fetching his coat, if it was not against rules?"

"It was against rules to go in when I told him not."

"Well, well," said Captain Rymer, "that is a matter that need not detain us. Have you any more questions, Mr Tempest?"